Disclaimer: 'Stargate SG1' and all the characters associated with the show belong to someone who isn't me. As I doubt that the owners would be willing to trade their rights for some magic beans that aren't in any way magical, this is not going to change at any point in the foreseeable future.

Author's Note I: A big thank you to everybody who has reviewed so far. After all your feedback, this chapter practically insisted on being written.

Author's Note II: What little I know about quantum physics I learned from 'Stargate' and 'Star Trek' so I apologise for the senseless explanations in this chapter. The alternative was three Jacks and three Sams dying of entropic cascade failure.


Chapter Five: Plan B...C...Whatever

"From what I can tell from the symbols on the reverse of the mirror's surface, Dr O'Neill's suggestion is correct." Daniel announced to the group assembled around the briefing table. "The glyphs are the 'gate address for the mirror's planet of origin."

"So it's a 'Made in China' sign?"

Jonathan grinned at Jack. "That's what I said."

"Essentially." Daniel said, not enjoying conducting a briefing in a room with all the O'Neills present. He had thought that one Jack was disruptive but four of them, two of whom did not seem overly interested in what he had to say and one who was looking at him as though he was a particularly unpleasant insect, were far worse.

"Of course since the mirror is at least ten thousand years old, the symbols alone won't be much use." Jonathan announced.

"I was just getting to that." Daniel said, slightly disgruntled by the way that the other man was calmly usurping his briefing.

"We tried dialling the coordinates already." Sam spoke up, her words directed mostly at Jack and General Hammond. "We couldn't get a lock. I've entered the coordinates into the dialling computer but it will be a day or two before it can compensate for stellar drift."

"We're hoping that we will be able to find the people who built the mirror." Colonel Carter said. "Or a replacement, or even a guide to help us repair the one we have."

"If worst comes to worst, we find nothing and it'll be a nice outing." Jack suggested encouragingly. "I think that we should go for it."

"Agreed." Hammond nodded his assent. "As soon as we have a revised 'gate address for the planet, we'll send a MALP and a UAV through and, assuming everything checks out, SG-1 will travel there to find a solution." He looked at the other six people in the room. "Accompanied by our guests."


The next day

"Alright, General, everything seems fine." You're in perfect health." Janet said cheerfully.

"Thank you." Keeping a piece of gauze firmly pressed to the tiny puncture wound where the petite doctor had drawn his blood, General O'Neill rose from the bed ans made his way out to the hall where Jonathan and Major O'Neill, both of whom had already been examined, were waiting.

Janet called for her next victim.

"I really don't think that this is neccessary, Doc." Jack protested a a penlight was shone in his eyes. "Carter didn't get sick when her twin did, so I should be fine."

"It's better to be safe than sorry." Well accustomed to dealing with this particular Jack O'Neill, Janet tuned out his complaints as she checked his temperature, heart rate, respiration and blood pressure before producing one of her much feared needles.

"Can't you just take my word for it when I tell you that I feel fine?" He asked hopefully. "Ow!"

"Sorry." Janet said automatically as she filled a small vial with a sample of blood.

"You don't sound sorry." He accused, accepting a piece of gauze and applying pressure.

"I think I still have some of Cassie's Scooby Doo bandaids." Janet offered sweetly. "Would one of those make you feel better?"

"Very funny."

"We're done, Colonel." She said, smiling. "You're free to go. Could you send the Sams down for their check ups?"

"Sure thing." He didn't leave the infirmary.

"Was there something else?"

He nodded, gesturing to his arm. "Where's my bandaid?"


"Fraiser said that nobody is showing any signs whatsoever of entropic cascade failure." Jack observed as he looked over the list of equipment they would be bringing on their trip.

"But it's been three days." Daniel said, sorting through his books to decide which of them he was most likely to need. "Samantha was sick before this last time."

"Don't remind me." Samantha shuddered at the memory.

"If anything, it should have happened earlier." Sam told them. "Major Kawalsky wasn't affected at all."

"He probably wouldn't have for years if my calculations were accurate." Samantha seconded.

"The increased entropy created by having two of us in the same reality reduced it from years to days." Sam said. "With more than two versions of the same person, that time should have decreased exponentially and..."

"Carter!" Jack cut her off, before amending his admonition. "Carters. Do we have to make a rule about tag team technobabbling?"

"Sorry, sir." Sam said automatically before returing to her discussion with Samantha. "I wonder if it's possible to generate too much entropy for the reality to compensate."

"Like a system overload." Samantha said excitedly.

"We overloaded the universe?" Jack asked. "Sweet!"

"If we're right, we could all be immune from entropic cascade failure." Sam said.

"So if worst comes to worst, we can all stay here." Samantha finished for her.

"Let's not talk about Plan B until we know that Plan A doesn't work."

"Plan C, sir." Sam corrected. "Going to the planet is Plan B. Plan A was to fix the mirror ourselves."

"Plan B...C... Whatever." Jack said testily. "It's going to get confusing having so many extra people around."

"Like it isn't already." Daniel said. "At least the Sams have different hairstyles. The only new Jack I can always tell is General O'Neill, and that's because he always looks at me as though I were something he scraped off the bottom of his shoe."

"I really don't want to share a universe with that guy permanently." Jack groused.

"Maybe you two should cut General O'Neill some slack." Samantha said, more severely than they had ever heard her say anything.

"He's an ass." Jack said bluntly.

"Maybe there's a reason for that."

TBC.

Author's Note: That's all for now. Please don't forget to review. Next chapter: SG-1, plus six, travel offworld.